Bbvebsing mechanism



F. W. WAPPAY.

REVERSiNG MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mm MAR. 29. ms.

0 2. 92 n 2 m 4 mm HE M4. n m P.

Will! F. W. WAPPAT. REVERSiNG MECHANISM. APPLICATWN mrn MAR 29, 1918.

1,344,606. Patented June 22, 1920.

4 5HEETSSHEET 4.

i 3 3533 5 3O I 24 17 H I 24' Z9 22 1'8 FRED W. WAPPAT, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSIN G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Application filed March 29. 1918. Serial No. 225.423.

To all whom it may concern: I

lie it known that I, Flu-1o W. WAi-rA'r, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification. in which-- Figure l is an end view of a washing ma chine to which my mechanism is applied. a portion of a shaft casing being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism and a vertical section of a portion of the washing machine: Fig. :5 is a front elevation of the mechanism, the casing being partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the casing, the mechanism w tlnnthe casing being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line V-V of Fig. 9. Fig. 6 is a detached vertical sectional view, on the line VI-VI of Fig. 9; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the casing, the mechanism being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 8 is a detached elevation of the clutch shifting mechanism; Fig. 9 is a plan View of the mechanism. the casing being in sec tion; Fig. 10 is a detached view partly in section of the wringer clamp; Fig. ll is a. plan view of the slotted plate through which the starter shaft passes; and Fig. 12 is a clenched view, partly in section, of a portion of the mechanism by which the reversing clutch may be thrown by hand.

My invention relates to drivin and reversing mechanism and articulariy'to such mechanism when used or driving and revcrsing the drums of washing machines. The object of my invention is to provide driving and reversing mechanism of simple construction, positive in its action, durable, simple to operate. and which may be so connccted to the washer as to avoid the liability of grease and dirt entering therein; and it consists in the parts and operation'of parts hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings a portion of the body of the washing machine is indicated at 2, one end of the frame of the washer being shown in Fig. 1, which also shows a swinging wringer mounted on the body of the washing machine.

The driving and reversi mounted on one ofthe e mechanism is frames of, the

washer in a 3,; and is managed therein 'hp'ri 1 19- 2 by the covere t. The power can be derived from any. suitable source, shown in the. drawings as electric 'motor 5, mounted upon the base pjortion of the frame of the washing machine. As shown, the power shaft 6 of this motor extends into the'lower portion of the casing 3, being connected with the armature shaft 7 of the motor by a suitw orm and worm gear which is not shown Pin the drawings, but which is inclosed in the casing 8. and may be of any suitable construction. Joints of suitable construction, as indicated at 6, may be made in the shafts (i and 7 to permit proper 7O alinement of the shafts. At the ,upper end of the power shaft (3 within the casing 35 is a bevel gear 9, which meshes with a bevel gear 10, which is connected to a. miter clutch gear 11 loosely mounted on the intermediate shaft 12 within the casing 3. Slidably keyed to the shaft 12 is a clutch member 13, which is provided with jaws or In 5 14 and 14, one on each side of the same, tie lug. 14 being adapted to engage with the lug 15.011 the face of the gear 11 and the lug 14' being adapted to engage with the log 15 on the face of the gear wheel 16, which similarly to the gear wheel 11 is loosely mounted onthe shaft 12. Meshing with each of the gears 11 and 1G is the bevel gear 55 which is keyed to the vertical shaft 56. This gear 55 causes the rotation of the gear 16 on the shaft 123 in the opposite direction to that of gear 11. At the inner end of the shaft 12, and keyed thereto, is a bevel gear 17, which meshes with a beveled gear 18 on the gear wheellt), which is loosely mounted on the drum ()P'k. cylinder shaft 20. Keyed to the shaft 20is an arm 21, provided with a stud 22 extend ing from the inner face of the same, and provided with a rubber ring or other resili ent member 23. This stud and ring. flit: 1 within pockets 24 and 24' in the web of the bevel gear 19, the rubber ring serving as a shock absorber, and the pocket 24 engaging with the ring serving to impart the power from the bevel whee 19 to the arm 21. which is keyed to the shaft 20, the shaft 20 being connected with the drum or cylinder 106 25 by means of an arm 26 and clutch 27, the arm being keyed to the shaft 20 and; the clutch 27, which is. fastened to fliercylindem. 25 engagingwith the arm.26- This shock absorber isnot claimed hareinhut isdaimia'd 11 9 im rpl etiqe Sandbla- 2i85eafiled mounted on is shaft 20 is an arm 28 in which arm, and fixed thereto, is a shaft 29, loosely mounted on which shaft is a stop or intermittent gear 31), which is in the form of a star wheel, having in this case six teeth or stops, the number of stops being optional, but necessarily corres )onding to the number of revolutions the rum must make before it is reversed. On the inner face of the star wheel 30 is a lug 31, which isadapted to engage with a l r 32 on the adjacent face of the arm 28. lxtending from the hub of the gear 19 is a tooth 33, which at every revolution of the gear 19 engages with one of the teeth of the star wheel 30, and imparts to the star wheel the sixth of a revolution, and the lug 31 on the star wheel having come in contact with the lug 32 of the arm 28, carries the arm, at the sixth revolution of the gear 19, in the direction in which the gear is turning. ()n the end of the arm 28 is a. weight 35 above the shaft 29. Slotably connected with the shaft 29 is a pivoted arm 36, the shaft 29 passing through the slot 37, and at its inner end the arm 36 is pivoted in a clevis 38 on the end of a reciprocating shaft 39, which shaft is slidabl journaled in a socket 40, extending from t ie casing 3, and is also journaled in the partition 41 of the cars ing. Keyed to the shaft 39 is a yoke member 42, which mbracesthe clutch l3, engaging with the annular rings thereof, and is adapted to throw the lugs 14, 14' into and out of the line of passage of the lugs 15 and 15'.

Mounted upon a collar 43, which is a part of or fixed to the casing 3, is a collar or member 44, which is part of or fixed to the operating lever 45, which extends'up over the top of the casing 3. Keyed to the collar 44, and extending down loosely through the collar 43, is in shaft 46, to the lower end of which shaft .is keyed a yoke arm 47, which engages with. a pin 48, which is keyed'to the shaft 39 in sueh manner that b movement of the lever 45 the shaft 39 shal reciprocate longitudinally to operate the clutch 13 through the yoke 42. At the outer end of the lever 45 is acollar 49 in which is a rota-- table spring-pin 50, havingalug 51 adapted to lit in a recess in the collar 49, and surrounding the pin 56 within the collar -19 is a spring 52, which tends to norinall keep the pin in its lower Cposition, but al owing the in 50 to be raise and turned to engage the ug 51 with the upper edge of the collar 49 to hold the pin in its elevated position. On top of the casing 3 is a plate 53 secured by suitable bolts passing through s1ots'54, the

' purpose of "the slots being topermitof the easy adjustmentpf the plate. "Extepding through the plate153 is a' po'cliet 55, within which the lower end of the pin 50'is adapted to engage when the lever 45 is brought to its intermediate oniieutral position. V The vertical shaft 56, which extends upwardly from gear 55 through a boss 57, which is secured to the casing 3 at its upper end, is provided with a recess 53, within which a tongue of the wringer shaft is adapted to engage, the wringcr shaft being inclosed in the pipe 59, at the top of which pipe is a ratchet collar 6b, which is secured to the frame 2 of the machine, and in which collar the pipe 59 is rotatable to enable the wringcr to be swung by hand to the desired -position. The driving mechanism of the wringer contained in a casing 61, to which is secured a pivoted pawl 62 adapted to engage with the teeth of the collar 60, the purpose of the pawl being to prevent the swinging of the wringer should the operator neg lect to clamp it, which clamping is accomplished by means of the clamp 63, which bears against the pipe 59, and is operated by a bell crank lever 64, as shown in Fig. 10.

The operation is as follows: The mechanism being in the neutral position shown in Fig. 3, the motor 5 having been started, which causes the rotation of the gears 11 and 16 loosely in opposite directions on the intermediate shaft 12, the power is impart ed in either direction the drum 25 by throwing the clutch 13 in o connection with either of the gears 11 and 16, which is accomplished by moving the arm 45 by hand, which turns the shaft 46, and through the yoked arm 47 throws the shaft 39 longitudinally, which moves the clutch 13 against one or other of the gears 1 l and 16, thus im parting power through the gear and clutch to the shaft 12, to which shaft the clutch is keyed. The rotation of the shaft 12 also causes the rotation of the gear wheel 19, which through the lug 24 of the arm 21 causes the rotation of the shaft 20 and consequently the rotation of the drum 25 to which the, shaft is connected. As the shaft completes its revolution the tooth 33 comes in contact with a tooth of the star wheel 30,

giving it one-sixth revolution, and this is repeated until the star wheel makes a completesrevolu tion, when the lug 31 of the star wheel, having previously engaged with the lug 32 on the face of the arm 28, looks the arm and the gear 19 with each other, and'causes the arm 28 to be thrown on its pivot in the direction in which the gear 19 1S rotating, which brings the shaft 29 in contact with the end of the slot 37, and moves theerm 36 and shaft 39 snfiiciently to carry the clutch 13 to its neutral position between thegears 11 and 16. thus cutting off power from the Shaft 12 to the shaft 20. But, as thisthrows the weighted arm 28 .off its center of gravity. the force of gravigy i throws the arm 28, the arm 36, and shaft sufficiently to bring the clutch 13 int-peontact with theoppositergear, 11 or 16, which urestores power to the. shaftand causes the shafts 12 and 20 to move in a reverse diree;

tion, thus imparting a reverse movement to the drum through the shaft 20, and, also, to the star wheel 3H, which, after making a complete revolution, the lu; 31 coming in contact with the opposite side of the log 32, again locks the arm 28 with the gear [9, and carries the same in the direction in which the gear 19, is then traveling, time again bringing the arm 28 first to a vertical and then to the reverse inclined position when it is desired to stop the operation of the washer, the arm 45 is hrou ht to its central or neutral position by t e hand of the operator, where iy the clutch 47 carries the shaft Z59 and the clutrh 13 to a neutral position between the two gears 11 and l(').

During the normal operation of the washer the control arm 45 moves from side to side with each reversal of the meehanism, and at thertime of, passing the eontral position, the door of the drum is always at the top so that at any time it is desired to stop the washer to obtain arecss to this door, for the intrmlnetion or removal of clothes, this may be done automatically by turning the pin 50 until the lug 51 is over the recess in the collar -19, which causes the spring. to force the )in against the plate 525, and as the pin reaches the porket 55 within the )late, to drop there in, which prevents the foree of gravity on the arm 28 carryinmthe clutch 13 into contaet with the opposite gear wheel.

The purpose of the stud 244 fitting; loosely in the pocket 24' is to act as an auxiliary ronnei'tion between the gear 19 and stud should the ring 923 become worn or otherwise dei'crtivc. The operation of the drum may be stopped at any time by throwing the arm +5 by hand to its middle or new tral position.

It should be noted that the apparatus 1 have described is simple, comp-art. positive in its action, and that it is practically out of eontaetjwith the body of the washer, and inelosed in a earrier, so that there is no liability of grease and dirt passing from the apparatus to the cylinder or drum within which the clothes are washed, or of dirt or dust ol'itaining lodgment within the mechanism. It should also be noted that .lhe power gears 11 and 1(1 and the clutrh i are eonta med in a. closed chamber a of the raising and separated from the other parts of the mechanism 'by the partition 41.

This pfil'll'lith' of the use of a body of grease or other lubricant surrounding the gears and clutch which prevents wear of these parts; It should also be noted that the use of springs and other mechanism liable to rapid deterioration is avoided, and that'the reversing arm being actuated first by the star wheel torelease the rluteh l3, and then by the force-of gravity to engage the elath with the opposite gear, thus serves to take up any lost motion resulting from wear on any of the bearings. Owing to this runstruetion it is unnecessary to use lubricant other than directly about the bearings in the chamber [1 of the casing 3.

In place of the weight 35 on the arm 25 other force applying devices, Mli'l) as would suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, may be employed to complete the throw of the arm, but I prefer to employ the force of gravity ashas been deserihed.

Having thus described my invention, wlnu I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a power shaft, of a reversing clutch thereon, oppositely rotating means arranged to be alternately olutehed to said power shaft, and means to throw said eluteh comprising a shaft driven by the power shaft, a weighted arm idly mounted on the driven shaft, a pin carried by the arm, a star wheel mounted on the pin, a lug on the driven shaft adapted to engage and move the star wheel a part of a rotation at can-h rotation of the driven shaft, a lug, on the arm adapted to engage a cooperating lug, on the star wheel at each revolution thereof whereby to lock the star wheel to the arm and cause the arm lo be driven, and a shaft eonneetril in the arm at one end and to the IC\'U1':-la1; i-hrtch at the other, whereby when the arm is driven the elutrh is reversed.

2. The combination with a povrr shaft, of a driven shaft, transmission means between said shafts, oppositely driven gears on the power shaft, a rlutrh arranged to engage one or more of said nears, a poi-L odic reversing mechanism for said e-lntrh comprising a weighted arm idly mounted on the driven shaft, a connection from said arm to the cluteh. a star wheel mounted on said arm, means for stepwise rotating said star wheel at each rotation of the driven shaft. and means to look said star wheel to said arm at earl: tonlplcle rotation of the star wheel and thus rause the arm to be driven throusrh the mnneetion therefrom to the clutch, to shift said clutch.

i-l. in reversing mechanism, the combination of a power shaft, oppositely driven gears thereon, a reversing clntrh splined to said shaft and arranged to engage said gears alternately, a driven shaft geared to the, drivin shaft. a gear on said driven shaft and provided with :1 lug, a star-wheel the teeth of which are arranged to engage with the log on said gear and iiself being: provided with a lug. anarm prodded with a lug arranged to engage with the iug on the star-wheel, a reciprocating rod connected to the arm, and a elutch shifting yoke :w-n" nested to said rod.

4. In reversing mechanism, the combination of a power shaft, oppositely driven ,jriiiih ther on. a reversing clutgh on said power hot arranged to engage said gears tlilLI'liHiRlj. ii gunon. said power shaft, a driven hag. a o {hereon meshing with the o' z, 1h" wer sh ft, said driven gearin with a ing, a starii'imyi 2hr twih which are arranged to \i V i i d ihclto f on sun! driven gear liii .scif l-rin wioxidcd with a log, a

are: proridi-d with a lug arranged "lgi l in; she log on the stair-wheel, m. d iw sand arm and upon which s journaled, a reciprocating storied operative connection do of he star-wheel, and a n mnncrted to said reriprorating iod.

in renaming mechanism, the combina- 5 ing shaft, a driven shaft, trans Ail n mixon said shafts, a clutch *d c power shaft and arranged to engiigc one r th other of said gears, a periodic l't'Hj'I'elIljf mechanism for the rlntch comprising a reciprocating shaft connected to lw rlui I, Hlti'iliillliiill connecting said rethe driven shaft and i d reriprrmnting shaft l WE'imicro-moi? number of rotations i I more hai'i, :i hand ievcr, and coneaw'iorr-i iii 7 ion: to eaid reciprocating -i, 5o o i erate said chitch by =1 towing: mechanism, the combine- A d m in: shnft, a driven shaft, trains- Iii moons le -i men said shafts, a clutch the imer shaft and arranged to -nethe other of said gears, it a; mechanism for the clutch :i reciprocating shaft connected 7 ii. ziwrh iniem connecting said 7 7 ,JH haft to the driven shaft and co -i to t nah: sa d reriprwxatingg shaft i r n psi-drum!mini-d number of rotations of {M drum shaft, a stud on said reciproemit ii! :u'to engaging said stud, a x H) which p-rid arm is attached, and :a hand h-vi r on said shaft whereby t t i i Mic driver arm to the :i

arm to the driven shaft after a predetermined number of rotations thereof in either direction.

8. Reversing mechanism, comprising in combination, a power shaft, a driven shaft, transmission means hetween said shafts, oppositely driven gears on the power shaft, a clutch arranged to connect said gears with the said clutch comprising an arm idly mounted on the driven shaft in raised position, means to lock the arm to the driven shaft after a predetermined number of rotations thereof in either direction, a pin on said arm, and a reciprocating rod having a slotted con.- nection to said pin and connected to the reversing clutch.

9. Reversing mechanism, comprising in combination, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, transmission means between said shafts, oppositely driven gears on the power shaft, a, clutch arranged to connect said gears to said power shaft alternately, means to throw said clutch comprising an upwardly extendinn weighted arm pivotally mounted on the driving shaft, a reciprocating member having a slotted connection to said pin and operatively connected to the clutch, and means to lock said arm to the driven shaft after a predetermined number of rotations thereof in either direction and thereby move the weighted arm through its vertical position to cause it thereafter to actuate the clutch.

10. Reversing mechanism, comprising in combination, a power shaft, a driven shaft, transmission means between said shafts, oppositely driven gears on the power shaft, a clutch arranged to connect the said gears to said power shaft alternately, means to actuate said clutch comprising a weighted arm idly mounted on the driven shaft, pin on said arm, a reciprocating' member connected to the reversing clutch and having my hand.

FRED W. WAPPAT. Vitnesses:

SUE B. Fnrrz, ,{AMES K. BAKEWELL.

power shaft alternately, means to throw 

